The invention concerns the grinding of knives, and has more particular reference to the grinding of knives for the loop-cutting instrumentalities of tufting machines.
In the production of cut-pile tufted fabrics, loops formed on a hook are cut as such loops move along the hook by a knife co-operable with an edge thereof.
In conventional arrangements, wherein the knives are provided as individual and separate elements, removal of the knives for grinding when the same become blunt is readily effected simply by removing the individual knives from the knife-blocks, regrinding the cutting edge and again mounting the knives in the related knife-blocks.
However, it is now commonplace to provide the knives in modular form, a plurality of individual knives being cast integrally in a common body whereby the knives are supported on a knife bar, a typical module including ten knives arranged in closely-spaced parallel disposition.
While the use of a modular concept in the context of the tuft-forming instrumentalities of a tufting machine does offer advantages over the more conventional arrangements wherein the needles, hooks and knives were all provided as individual elements separately mounted on the tufting machine, especially in the area of fine gauge tufting machines, particular difficulty is experienced in connection with the regrinding of the individual knives of a knife module having regard to the close disposition of adjacent knives.